Rohingya refugees bring emergency aid to Bangladesh flood victims

Special Rohingya refugees bring emergency aid to Bangladesh flood victims
Rohingya volunteers distribute aid among flood victims in Hasanpur, southeastern Bangladesh on Aug. 31, 2024. (Yassin Abdumonab)
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Updated 31 August 2024
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Rohingya refugees bring emergency aid to Bangladesh flood victims

Rohingya refugees bring emergency aid to Bangladesh flood victims
  • Flash flooding hit eastern Bangladesh, killing at least 59 people and affecting 5.5 million
  • Rohingya refugees from Cox’s Bazar bring food, medicine to thousands of affected families

Dhaka: Rohingya refugees organized on Saturday emergency aid for their host community in Bangladesh, as the worst floods in three decades swept the country’s eastern regions.

Heavy monsoon rainfall, coupled with a surge of water from the neighboring Indian state of Tripura, resulted in severe floods in southeastern and northeastern Bangladesh since Aug. 20.

The flash flooding has hit 11 districts — Feni, Cumilla, Chattogram, Khagrachari, Noakhali, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Sylhet, Lakshmipur, and Cox’s Bazar — killing
at least 59 people and affecting 5.5 million.

More than 1 million families have been cut off from the rest of the country by floodwaters and overflowing rivers and are urgently in need of food, drinking water, and medicines.

With the flooding marking one of the worst such disasters in over 30 years, a group of 12 Rohingya refugees from camps in Cox’s Bazar district stepped in to show their solidarity and bring some relief to the Bangladeshis who have hosted them for years.

On Saturday morning, they started distributing relief packages to 3,000 families in Feni, Cumilla, and Noakhali districts, which they bought from contributions made by their own community members.

“We thought to do something from our side to help the affected people. We approached every household in our Rohingya community. Our people contributed their best,” said Alom Shah, member of the group, whose family has been living in a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar since 2017.

He is among some 1 million Rohingya who fled a deadly military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.

“We are just representing our Rohingya community. In 2017, when we came to Bangladesh fleeing the atrocities in Rakhine, the brothers and sisters from Bangladesh stood by us with utmost hospitality and kindness. We are grateful for that kindness. And I believe we also have some responsibilities toward them,” Shah told Arab News.

“It’s time to extend support toward our hosts who saved our lives in 2017. If a friend doesn’t come up in time of need, then they’re not a true friend. Being a part of this relief activity, I feel very proud.”

The Rohingya volunteers brought with them rice, lentils, oil, some other staples and basic medical kits.

Sahat Zia Hero, documentary photographer and Rohingya activist, said in a phone call from Feni that they have been distributing aid since the morning.

“We brought the rations that were donated by our Rohingya community from the camp,” he told Arab News.

“We may not have the means to provide large donations, but we have big hearts and a deep sense of humanity. As refugees, we understand the pain of losing homes and the hardships of being displaced.”

He, too, was committed to showing solidarity with the people who have been helping them for years.

“We can never forget how the people of Bangladesh saved our lives when we fled our country,” he said.

Those who received the help realized well that it came from the people who themselves were dependent on humanitarian aid.

“It’s a great example of humanity. It seems that the food they received as assistance, they are now giving it to us … They are also victims. It seems that one victim is extending help to another one,” said Shohidul Islam, who teaches accounting at Greenland College in Feni.

“The help was supposed to be here from the richest groups of the society. The Rohingya are sheltering here as refugees. In spite of that, they came forward to help … Through this initiative of the Rohingya, humanity has won once again.”

 


Mexico excludes Spanish king from president’s swearing-in

Mexico excludes Spanish king from president’s swearing-in
Updated 26 September 2024
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Mexico excludes Spanish king from president’s swearing-in

Mexico excludes Spanish king from president’s swearing-in

MADRID: Mexican president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum angered Spain on Wednesday by barring its King Felipe VI from her swearing-in ceremony, accusing him of failing to acknowledge harm caused by his country’s conquest of Mexico five centuries ago.

The decision prompted Spain to boycott the event altogether, with its Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez calling the Mexican decision “inexplicable” and “totally unacceptable.”

Mexico’s outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in 2019 sent a letter to the king asking that he “publicly and officially” acknowledge the “damage” caused by the 1519-1521 conquest, which resulted in the death of a large part of the country’s pre-Hispanic population.

“Unfortunately, this letter was never replied to directly, as should have been the best practice in bilateral relations,” Sheinbaum said in a statement.

Mexico had in July invited just Sanchez to the swearing-in ceremony on October 1, the statement added.

The Spanish foreign ministry said in a statement that the government “has decided not to participate in the inauguration at any level.”

“Spain and Mexico are brotherly peoples. We cannot therefore accept being excluded like this,” Sanchez said later in a news conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

“That is why we have made it known to the Mexican government that there will be no diplomatic representative from the Spanish government, as a sign of protest.”

Mexico published the guest list a week ago for the inauguration of Sheinbaum, who will be the country’s first woman president following her left-wing ruling party’s landslide June election victory.

King Felipe VI was not on the list, which includes regional leftist leaders as well as US First Lady Jill Biden.

Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles told journalists in Madrid on Wednesday: “The head of state, the king of Spain, always attends all swearing-in ceremonies and therefore we cannot accept that in this case he should be excluded.”

While Mexico and Spain have close historical and economic links, relations between the Latin American nation and its former colonial ruler have been strained since Lopez Obrador — an ally of Sheinbaum — took office in 2018.

He has frequently complained about Spanish companies operating in Mexico and twice declared during his mandate that his country’s relations with Spain were “on pause.”

Madrid has rejected his demand for an apology for the events of the Spanish conquest five centuries ago.

Sanchez said on Wednesday, without elaborating, that Spain had “already explained its position on the subject.”

The socialist premier expressed “great frustration” at Sheinbaum’s decision, saying that he considered Mexico’s leaders to be “progressive” like his government.


Canada PM Trudeau survives vote of no confidence

Canada PM Trudeau survives vote of no confidence
Updated 26 September 2024
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Canada PM Trudeau survives vote of no confidence

Canada PM Trudeau survives vote of no confidence

OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday survived a vote of no confidence in the first major test of his minority Liberal government whose popularity has waned after nine years in office.

His tenuous grip on power, however, is already set to face more challenges in the coming days and weeks, with the main opposition Conservatives vowing to try again to topple the government as early as Tuesday.

Following a heated debate that saw members of Parliament trade insults and slam their fists on desks, they voted 211 to 120 against the Conservative motion to unseat the Liberals and force snap elections.

Far ahead in public opinion polls, Tory leader Pierre Poilievre has been itching for a snap election since the leftist New Democratic Party (NDP) earlier this month tore up a coalition agreement with the Liberals, leaving the Trudeau administration vulnerable to being toppled.

A combative Poilievre has railed against Trudeau for what he said was a failure to address soaring costs of living, a housing crisis and crime, while doubling the national debt.

The promise of Canada, “after nine years of Liberal government, is broken,” he said during a Commons debate on Tuesday.

But other opposition parties, whose support is needed to topple the Liberals, have pushed back against his rightwing agenda.

Liberal House leader Karina Gould accused the Tories of “playing games.”

“I think it’s pretty lame that they’re going to put forward another non-confidence vote tomorrow,” she said.

Immediately following the no confidence vote, the NDP again sided with the Liberals to pass legislation on capital gains taxes, averting another political crisis.

Poilievre has vowed to keep trying, with the next opportunity to bring down the government to be presented next week. If that fails, he will have a few more chances before the end of the year.

The separatist Bloc Quebecois has also demanded concessions from the ruling Liberals for its continued support in Parliament beyond the end of October.

Trudeau swept to power in 2015, and has managed to hold on by defeating two of Poilievre’s predecessors in 2019 and 2021 ballots.

The deal with the New Democratic Party to prop up the Liberals would have kept his government in office until late 2025.

But the NDP, seeing its alignment with the Liberals hurting its own popularity, exited the deal early.

According to a recent Angus Reid poll, the Conservatives are well ahead of the Liberals, with 43 percent of voting intention against 21 percent for the ruling party. The NDP is at 19 percent.

Going forward, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said his party would evaluate each bill in Parliament before deciding how to vote.

With legislation pending on NDP priorities including a national dental plan, political analysts who spoke to AFP suggested an election won’t likely be triggered until at least spring 2025.

However, University of Ottawa professor Genevieve Tellier told AFP: “Anything is possible. It could come before Christmas.”

In the meantime, a weakened Trudeau administration under constant threat “will find it more difficult to govern,” she said.

Bloc leader Yves-Francois Blanchette said Wednesday he would seek to keep the government afloat until the end of October.

But if there has been no movement on its legislative priorities by then, he said the Bloc would turn against the Liberals.

In Canada’s Westminster parliamentary system, a ruling party must hold the confidence of the House of Commons, which means maintaining support from a majority of members.

The Liberals currently have 153 seats, versus 119 for the Conservatives, 33 for the Bloc Quebecois, and the NDP 25.


Trump says Ukraine is ‘dead’ and dismisses its defense against Russia’s invasion

Trump says Ukraine is ‘dead’ and dismisses its defense against Russia’s invasion
Updated 25 September 2024
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Trump says Ukraine is ‘dead’ and dismisses its defense against Russia’s invasion

Trump says Ukraine is ‘dead’ and dismisses its defense against Russia’s invasion
  • Says Ukraine should have made concessions to Putin in the months before Russia’s February 2022 attack
  • Blames Biden and Harris for giving egging on Ukraine to fight rather than pushing it to cede territory to Russia

Former US President Donald Trump described Ukraine in bleak and mournful terms Wednesday, referring to its people as “dead” and the country itself as “demolished,” and further raising questions about how much the former president would be willing if elected again to concede in a negotiation over the country’s future.
Trump argued Ukraine should have made concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin in the months before Russia’s February 2022 attack, declaring that even “the worst deal would’ve been better than what we have now.”
Trump, who has long been critical of US aid to Ukraine, frequently claims that Russia never would have invaded if he was president and that he would put an end to the war if he returned to the White House. But rarely has he discussed the conflict in such detail.
His remarks, at a North Carolina event billed as an economic speech, come on the heels of a debate this month in which he pointedly refused to say whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war. On Tuesday, Trump touted the prowess of Russia and its predecessor Soviet Union, saying that wars are “what they do.”
The Republican former president, notoriously attuned to slights, began his denunciation of Ukraine by alluding to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent criticism of Trump and running mate JD Vance.
Zelensky, who is visiting the US this week to attend the UN General Assembly, told The New Yorker that Vance was “too radical” for proposing that Ukraine surrender territories under Russian control and that Trump “doesn’t really know how to stop the war even if he might think he knows how.”

Said Trump, “It’s something we have to have a quick discussion about because the president of Ukraine is in our country and he’s making little nasty aspersions toward your favorite president, me.”
Trump painted Ukraine as a country in ruins outside its capital, Kyiv, short on soldiers and losing population to war deaths and neighboring countries. He questioned whether the country has any bargaining chips left to negotiate an end to the war.
“Any deal — the worst deal — would’ve been better than what we have now,” Trump said. “If they made a bad deal it would’ve been much better. They would’ve given up a little bit and everybody would be living and every building would be built and every tower would be aging for another 2,000 years.”
“What deal can we make? It’s demolished,” he added. “The people are dead. The country is in rubble.”

Zelensky is pitching the White House on what he calls a victory plan for the war, expected to include an ask to use long-range Western weapons to strike Russian targets.
While Ukraine outperformed many expectations that it would fall quickly to Russia, outnumbered Ukrainian forces face grinding battles against one of the world’s most powerful armies in the country’s east. A deal with Russia would almost certainly be unfavorable for Ukraine, which has lost a fifth of its territory and tens of thousands of lives in the conflict.
Trump laid blame for the conflict on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic rival in November. He said Biden “egged it all on” by pledging to help Ukraine defend itself rather than pushing it to cede territory to Russia.
“Biden and Kamala allowed this to happen by feeding Zelensky money and munitions like no country has ever seen before,” Trump said.
Notably, Trump did not attack Putin’s reasoning for launching the invasion, only suggesting Putin would not have started the war had Trump been in office. He did say of Putin, “He’s no angel.”


US Muslim group endorses Harris, says Trump bigger danger

US Muslim group endorses Harris, says Trump bigger danger
Updated 25 September 2024
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US Muslim group endorses Harris, says Trump bigger danger

US Muslim group endorses Harris, says Trump bigger danger
  • The endorsement comes as the 2024 race between Harris and Trump remains very tight ahead of the Nov. 5 election
  • Arab American and Muslim voters may play a decisive role in the outcome in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and other battleground states

MICHIGAN: US Muslim advocacy group Emgage Action on Wednesday endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris despite its ongoing concern over the war in Gaza, saying former President Donald Trump posed a greater danger with his promise to reinstate travel restrictions affecting majority-Muslim countries.
The endorsement comes as the 2024 race between Harris and Trump remains very tight ahead of the Nov. 5 election. Arab American and Muslim voters may play a decisive role in the outcome in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and other battleground states. These voters helped President Joe Biden defeat Trump in 2020 by thousands of votes.
Many Muslim groups, including Emgage Action, have criticized the Biden administration, where Harris serves as vice president, for its support of Israel’s war in Gaza. Harris has urged an immediate ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, saying she supports Israel’s right to defend itself as well as the Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
“While we do not agree with all of Harris’ policies, particularly on the war on Gaza, we are approaching this election with both pragmatism and conviction,” Emgage CEO Wa’el Alzayat said in a statement, adding it sought to provide “honest guidance to our voters regarding the difficult choice they confront at the ballot box.”
Emgage Action, which endorsed Biden in 2020, said it mobilized 1 million Muslim voters in that election. The group said the Harris endorsement reflects a “responsibility to defeat Trump and defend the community against what would be a return to Islamophobic and other harmful policies.”
Trump’s campaign had no immediate comment.
His campaign has held dozens of events with Arab Americans and Muslims in swing states and plans another event this weekend in Michigan, Richard Grenell, Trump’s former acting director of national intelligence, said last week.
Trump has said he will reinstate the “travel ban” that restricts entry into the United States of people from a list of largely Muslim-dominant countries. Biden rolled back the ban shortly after taking office in 2021.
The Harris campaign welcomed the endorsement a week after another big voting bloc, the pro-Palestinian grassroots organization Uncommitted National Movement, said it would not endorse Harris, Trump or a third-party candidate.
Harris has already won the backing of smaller Muslim groups, including the Black Muslim Leadership Council Fund and the American Muslim Democratic Caucus.
The US, Israel’s biggest ally and weapons supplier, has sent Israel more than 10,000 highly destructive 2,000-pound (900-kg) bombs and thousands of Hellfire missiles since the start of the Gaza war in October, US officials told Reuters in June.
The war in the Gaza Strip began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen stormed into Israeli communities, killing some 1,200 people and abducting about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, Israel’s military has leveled swaths of Gaza, driving nearly all of its 2.3 million people from their homes, giving rise to deadly hunger and disease and killing more than 41,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.


Trump says would destroy Iran if it ‘harms’ a US election candidate

Trump says would destroy Iran if it ‘harms’ a US election candidate
Updated 25 September 2024
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Trump says would destroy Iran if it ‘harms’ a US election candidate

Trump says would destroy Iran if it ‘harms’ a US election candidate
  • “As you know, there have been two assassination attempts on my life that we know of, and they may or may not involve — but possibly do — Iran,” Trump said
  • “If I were the president, I would inform the threatening country, in this case Iran, that if you do anything to harm this person, we are going to blow your largest cities“

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump said Wednesday Iran should be blown “to smithereens” if the Islamic republic is involved in the harming of a US White House candidate or ex-president.
The provocative remarks come after American intelligence warned of threats from Tehran against the Republican’s life after two apparent assassination bids in recent months.
“As you know, there have been two assassination attempts on my life that we know of, and they may or may not involve — but possibly do — Iran,” Trump said at a campaign event in North Carolina.
“If I were the president, I would inform the threatening country, in this case Iran, that if you do anything to harm this person, we are going to blow your largest cities and the country itself to smithereens,” he added.
Trump went on to say he and the United States have been “threatened very directly by Iran” and that a firm message needed to reach Tehran that there would be the most severe consequences should it be involved in plots to kill or hurt an American president or candidate.
“The best way to do it is through the office of the president, that (if) you do any attacks on former presidents or candidates for president, your country gets blown to smithereens, as we say.”
Trump also said it was “strange” that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was in New York this week and accorded substantial protection as he attends the United Nations General Assembly even as news of the threats emerged.
“We have large security forces guarding him, and yet they’re threatening our former president and the leading candidate to become the next president of the United States,” Trump said.
The remarks come as world leaders scramble to try to avert hostilities between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel escalating into a wider regional war.
Iran has rejected accusations it is trying to kill Trump this summer, shortly after a gunman opened fire at a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, killing one person and wounding the presidential candidate.
Days later, Trump posted on social media that if Iran did kill him, “I hope that America obliterates Iran, wipes it off the face of the Earth.”
On Wednesday, the 78-year-old Trump suggested the would-be assassin in Pennsylvania had used “potentially foreign-based apps,” and that the alleged gunman in Florida had multiple mobile phones that Trump said US authorities have been unable to open.
“They must get Apple to open these foreign apps (and) open the six phones from the second lunatic,” Trump said. “Because we have a lot at stake.”